Sales have opened for what MSC Cruises says is its “most innovative and environmentally advanced vessel to date”.

MSC World Europa – the first in the line’s MSC World Class – features a 90-degree plumb bow shaped like an arrow and will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The ship is due to enter service in December 2022 and will spend its inaugural season in the Gulf, with seven-night cruises from Dubai.

It will then move to the Mediterranean on 25 March 2023 for seven-night cruises calling at Genoa, Naples, Messina, Valletta, Barcelona and Marseille.

MSC Cruises executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said: “Quite unlike anything else at sea today, MSC World Europa and the entire MSC World Class redefines the cruise experience in so many ways: from the future-proof on-board technologies that this completely new platform introduces for the first time all the way to its ground-breaking marine and interior design features. Put it simply, MSC World Europa marks the beginning of a new era for cruising.

“At MSC Cruises, innovation will and has always been at the heart of our business, driving how with each new class of ships we reimagine the guest experience, the operations as well as every single aspect of the technology that brings it all together.

“Whether it is the new advanced air filters that will be introduced here or the vessel’s iconic and never seen before Y-shape design, MSC World Europa is all about the future.

“At MSC Cruises we have a strong, clear vision for the future and we combine that with our own timeless style. MSC World Europa embodies this perfectly – bringing together future-proof technologies, globally inspired urban design and our signature European flair to give our guests a next-level cruise experience.”

Vago aded: “Just as importantly , we want to provide our guests not only with a truly unique and memorable holiday but also a sustainable one, so this is an intrinsic part of our innovation programme.

“This is why MSC World Europa, our first LNG ship and our most environmentally advanced yet, signifies another important step forward for us in terms of our long-term vision for zero emissions.”

MSC recently restarted operations in the UK on a series of domestic voyages.